Before Virginia Tech opened workouts last weekend in preparation for its Dec. 29 Belk Bowl appearance against Arkansas, Hokies coach Justin Fuente dug out a collection of bowl practice schedules he'd used in his days at Texas Christian and Memphis.

Fuente's reasoning for following the old schedules like some sort of bowl-prep Holy Grail is simple. When you go a combined 5-1 in bowls as a co-offensive coordinator at TCU under head coach Gary Patterson and as a head coach at Memphis, you don't tend to stray far from what works.

While there will be inevitable uncertainties involving personnel adjustments, injuries and distractions — not the least of which are the internal struggles Tech wide receivers Isaiah Ford and Bucky Hodges may be having over whether to go pro or not — that will arise during bowl prep, there isn't much that causes Fuente to deviate from Patterson's methods.

"Almost everything we do in our program, the seeds were planted in what Coach Patterson obviously did through the years," Fuente said. "He changes things, and situations change things, but I liked the way we prepared, and we prepared to go win the ballgame."

So, soon after Fuente found out Tech (9-4) would be playing in the Belk Bowl in Charlotte, N.C., he unearthed the Patterson pre-bowl schedules from the TCU years and the pre-bowl practice schedule Fuente used with Memphis. He compared and contrasted what took place in bowl lead-up at those schools to the calendar he knew he'd be working with this month ahead of the Belk Bowl.

His reliance on the Patterson-organized schedules isn't just confined to bowl preparation. Fuente does the same thing ahead of offseason workouts, spring practices and two-a-days in August.

As TCU's running backs coach in 2007 and 2008, and co-offensive coordinator from 2009-2011, Fuente helped lead the Horned Frogs to the 2007 Texas Bowl, where they defeated Houston 20-13, the 2008 Poinsettia Bowl, where the Horned Frogs slipped past Boise State 17-16, the January '10 Fiesta Bowl, where Boise State got its revenge in a 17-10 final, the January '11 Rose Bowl, where TCU beat Wisconsin 21-19, and the December '11 Poinsettia Bowl, which featured TCU defeating Louisiana Tech 31-24.

At Memphis, Fuente transformed the Tigers from a downtrodden program to a bowl winner. Two years ago, Memphis defeated Bronco Mendenhall-coached Brigham Young 55-48 in the Miami Beach Bowl.

Last year, Fuente left Memphis to take the job at Tech before Memphis lost 31-10 to Auburn in the Birmingham Bowl. Despite his bowl success and rigid adherence to a tried-and-true bowl-prep plan, Fuente believes there's time for levity in the postseason.

"I think you can do both," Fuente said. "I think you can enjoy the bowl experience while still preparing to play well. It is a test of maturity for your football team in terms of having a little more free time, school's coming to an end, handling those times without being as busy while still preparing."

Ford and Hodges are among Tech players who likely have more than just schoolwork and preparation for Arkansas (7-5) hanging over their heads this holiday season.

Ford, a junior who owns Tech's career records for receptions (204), receiving yards (2,911) and receiving touchdowns (24), insists he isn't spending any time weighing his options at this point. Last week, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper projected Ford to be a second-round selection in the 2017 draft if he forgoes his final season of college eligibility.

"I haven't really thought about it, because I still have one more game left with these seniors," said Ford, adding Monday he hadn't submitted paperwork to the NFL draft advisory committee to get a feel for where he might fit into the draft if he comes out early. "Sam Rogers won't be here next year. Chuck Clark, big Jon (McLaughlin), Augie (Conte), all those players won't be here next year, and I just want to cherish this last moment with them."

This season, Ford leads Tech with 73 catches for 1,038 yards and seven touchdowns. In addition to trying to finish his undergraduate degree, which he said he's on schedule to earn next December, he said sticking around to play another season with his Tech "family" might be a reason to stay in Blacksburg for his senior year.

Hodges, a 6-foot-7 redshirt junior receiver who is third on the team with 43 catches for 640 yards and seven touchdowns, has already been through the pre-draft process once. Prior to last season's Independence Bowl, Hodges said he was evaluated by the draft advisory committee as a player who would be better off returning to school this season for more on-field seasoning.

Now, with another strong year under his belt, Hodges may be gaining momentum as a quality prospect at tight end.

Kiper considers Hodges the second-best tight end available in the draft if he comes out early. Todd McShay, another ESPN draft guru, believes Hodges would be a "top-40 pick" in the draft. The nfldraftscout.com website projects Hodges as the third-best tight end available in the upcoming draft and a possible second-round pick.

For Fuente, all of the draft stuff can wait. It's apparently not part of the time-tested pre-bowl formula.

"I meet with a lot of our players about various subjects, but the centerpiece behind all of our conversations is there's a time and a place for everything," Fuente said. "Right now, there's a time and a place for us to prepare for Arkansas and send our seniors out the right way. So we touch on a wide (range) of topics in individual meetings, and it always centers back to what gives us the best chance to win this next game."